Starter for internal-combustion engines



Sept. 5, 1950 G. J. ARMSTRONG STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 26, 1948 Fig./

Fig.2.

Im'eutor George J. Armsfrong I31 am Sept 5, 1950 a. J. ARMSTRONG 2,521,319

STARTER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Oct. 26, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I) l/ l 40 1 i I Inventor George J; Arms rrang Patented Sept. 5, 1950 s'raa'raa roa INTERNAL-communion mamas v George 1. Armstrong, Seminole, Okla.

Application O'otober as, 194:, Serial No. 56,552

This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in a starter for internal combustion engines and more specifically pertains to a fric tion drive engageable with the flywheel ofinternal combustion engines for starting the same from a source of power such as a small internal combustion engine or the like.

. 2 V Figure 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment of Figure l; 1

The principal obiect'of this invention is to provide a friction starter having means for simultaneously placing the friction drum of the starter into contact with a flywheel or analogous part of an internal combustion engine for starting the same and for operatively tensioning a belt drive connecting the friction wheel with a source of power such as a small engine or motor;

'An important feature of the invention resides in theprovision of an internal combustion engine starter having a prime mover such as an electric motor or an internal combustion engine constituting a source of power and a countershaft connected with this prime mover, which countershaft is provided with a friction drum which is engageable with the flywheel or some other 'rotatable part of an internal combustion engine for rotating and starting the latter.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a starting device in'accordance with the preceding feature wherein an improved mechanism is provided for simultaneously tensioning the driving connection between the prime mover and the countershaft and placing the friction drum of the countershaft in driving engagement with an internal combustion engine.

' Figure 3 is a' vertical longitudinal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane of the section linej-Z of Figure 2, and illustrating in dotted lines the position of the parts when the device is actuated to tension the driving belt, to pivot the tilting plate and to engage the friction drum with the periphery of a flywheel of an internal combustion engine; 7

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the device shown in Figures 14 and Figure 5 is 'a perspective detail view of a portion of the actuating means for tilting or pivoting the tilting plate.

Referring now more specifically to the accompartyin drawings, wherein like numerals desi nate similar parts throughout the various views, the numeral l0 designates generally any form of prime mover such as an electric motor, a small internal combustion engine or the like which is shown bolted upon the framework l2 of a suitable supporting frame.

This framework may conveniently comprise a pair of angle irons II which are rigidly connected together as by transverse beams it upon which the prime mover I0 is removably secured as by bolts or other fastening means l8.

Adjacent one end of the frame members it of the supporting frame, is'a transversely extending hinge or pivot pin 20 by means of which a tilting plate 22 is pivotally connected to the angle Yet another feature of the invention resides in an improved mounting of the countershaft, having a friction drum and a driven pulley thereon, upon a tilting plate which is pivotally mounted upon a support upon which the prime mover is mounted and wherein means is provided for pivoting the tilting plate while simultaneously rotating the friction drum and placing the friction drum in driving engagement with a part of an internal combustion engine.

These,together with various ancillary features and objects of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this device, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustratedv by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational' view of a preferred embodiment of the invention, the'coundisengaged or inoperative position, and the driving belt of the countershaft being shown in its untensioned and inoperative condition;

tershaft and tilting plate being shown in their I iron members II. The sides of this plate 22, as shown in Figure 2, are preferably provided with parallel longitudinally extending slots 24 for slidably securing journal bearings 26 thereon, these journal bearings rotatably mounting an axle or countershaft 28 having rigidly secured thereto a drum 30 of any suitable material and forming a friction drum for transmitting power from the countershaft 28 to a driven member as set forth hereinafter.

Likewise rigidly attached to the countershaft Y28 and preferably at the end thereof which extends beyond the tilting plate 22, is a driven pulley 32 by means of which the countershaft may be rotated. As will be readily seen from Figure 2, the prime mover It is provided with a driving pulley 3|, and a driving belt 36 is entrained over the pulleys l2 and N. If desired, these pulleys may have a plurality of grooves, and a plurality of belt members may be connected therefastening bolts 38 which extend through the slots 24 and serve to retain the bearings upon the tilting plate where it permits sliding movement means, the movement of the countershaft towards the prime mover is limited or adjusted, whereby the tension applied to the driving belt 38 may be regulated as set forth hereinafter.

Rotatably joumaled between the angle iron frame members l4 of the support If, intermediate the ends of these members and at the other end of the tilting plate, is a tilting shaft 44, which adjacent its ends is provided with rigidly attached cams or eccentrics 46 adapted to engage the under surface of the tilting plate for raising the same upon rocking movement of the shaft 44. To effect this rocking movement, the shaft 44 is provided with an arm 48, and a link 50 is terminally pivotally connected as at 52 and-54 to the end of the arm 48 and to the end of the tilting lever 56 which is fulcrumed as at 58 to a standard 60 mounted upon the support. The outer end of this lever is provided with a plate $2 constituting a foot plate whereby the lever may be depressed from its full line and inoperative position shown in Figure 3 to its depressed and dotted line position whereby the starter is actuated. It will be now understood that depressing this lever from the full line to the dotted line positions of Figure 3, serves by means of the link I50 and arm 48 to rotate the tilting shaft 44 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figures 1, 3 and 5, whereby the cams 46 will raise the end of the tilting plate from the :full line to the dotted line position shown in Figure 3, thus causing a rocking or pivoting action in a clockwise direction of the tilting plate about its hinge pin 20.

This tilting action of the tilting plate serves two functions. First, it serves to tension the belts 36 from their inoperative positions shown in full lines in Figures 3 and 1, to their operative positions shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. whereby the countershaft will be operatively connected to the constantly rotating prime mover l0. Second, this tilting movement will cause the friction drum 3!! to move in an arc in a clockwise direction about the hinge pin of the tilting plate, and thus move from its full line to its dotted line position in Figure 3, in which latter position it is frictionally engageable with the surface of a flywheel indicated in dotted lines at 64, for rotating the same.

This flywheel 64 may be a part of an internal combustion engine, whereby the rotation of the flywheel will serve to start the internal combustion engine. Alternatively, any other rotatable shaft of the engine maybe frictionally engaged by the friction drum 30 for a similar purpose, and

likewise the friction drum may be employed for starting or operating other machines than internal combustion engines.

As shown more clearly in Figure 3, the end of the link 50 is extended below the arm 44 and its pivotal connection 52, for engagement by a tension spring 88 whose other end is secured to an adjusting screw 68 screw threaded through a depending lug 10 carried by the support. This tension spring serves to bias the link, and consequently the arm 48 in a clockwise direction. as viewed in Figure 3, thereby urging the lever, link and arm to their inoperative position, and retracting the lift cams 46 from the tilting plate, whereby the latter under its own weight will tend to return to its inoperative position. If desired, additional means such as a spring or the like may be employed to assist in returning the tilting plate to its lowered or inoperative position.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood andfurther explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, but all suitable modiflcations and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus disclosed'and described the invention, what is claimed as new is as follows:

A starter for internal combustion engines comprising a support having a tilting plate hinged thereto, a countershaft journaled on said tilting plate and having a friction drum and a driven pulley thereon, a source of power on said support having a driving pulley, a. driving belt connecting said driving and driven pulleys and means for tilting said plate in a direction to simultaneously and progressively and increasingly tension said driving belt and continuously REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,708,903 Schroder Apr. 9, 1929 1,799,261 Stoocly Apr. 7, 1931 Hoover Mar. 1, 1949 

